Adult Content

in

The Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone

by T. H. White

Character Designations

the character has a major role interacting with the main characters
of the story

secondary

the character has a secondary role interacting with the main
characters of the story

tertiary

the character has a very slight role in the story

List of Adult Word Usage

Word

Location

Occurences

Speaker

Analysis

“damn it all”

Chapter One

two

Ector (secondary character)

Not gratuitous, the phrase is used to emphasize that the speaker has
been drinking.

“damn” (with variations)

Chapter Eight

twelve

Cully (secondary character)

Not gratuitous, the character (a bird) uses this word repeatedly
during a formal ceremony — emphasizing his mental disorder and,
to a lesser extent, his “lamentable infantry manners”.

“nigger”

Chapter Eight

one

Cully (secondary character)

Not gratuitous, the character (a bird) uses this designation (and
several others more politically correct) in a tirade directed at no
one in particular.
Indeed, its use by a bird, and by a Britain, makes it difficult to
tell to whom, in general, it might refer.
The author uses this to characterize the bird as an uncouth
infantryman.

“I be dommed” (damned)

Chapter Twelve

one

Hob (tertiary character)

Slightly gratuitous, this is used to emphasize the character’s
“low class” and is spoken in a rural dialect.

“hell’s bells”

Chapter Fourteen

two

Ector (secondary character)

Slightly gratuitous, the character is demonstrating an unusual
(annual, in fact) amount of frustration and anger.

“damned”

Chapter Twenty-Three

one

Kay (major character)

Slightly gratuitous, the character is demonstrating an unusual
amount of frustration and anger.